YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
BATTLING THE STRESS OF PERFORMANCE | Vance & Michelle Shepherd
Nearly every music student we get to work with hopes to get the opportunity to be featured in a band and perform live . We spend months getting them prepared for their first event , coaching and casting vision , and spiritually getting them prepared to lead the room in worship . So much excitement !
But on the other hand , we ’ ve seen where the stress and anxiety of being on stage almost knocks them right off the stage . How can we better transition our youth from studying music in their rooms at home , to now performing or leading worship in front of their peers for youth worship events , or even Sunday morning congregations ?
You ’ ve probably heard of the fixed-intelligence mindset verses the growth-intelligence mindset . Musicians with a fixed-intelligence mindset worry more about how the audience perceives them and has thoughts similar to , “ If my performance isn ’ t great , the audience will think I ’ m not as gifted as I ’ m said to be .” Fear of making a mistake then hinders their performance . Perfectionists very often have a fixed-intelligence mindset . They tend to focus more on what ’ s wrong than what ’ s right . This can also lead to less enjoyment when playing or singing , and also low self-esteem .
For the growth-intelligence mindset , the performance is less stressful , more exciting , and even though they don ’ t like making mistakes , they look at it as a learning experience , figure out what went wrong , and fix it for next time .
We try to encourage all of our students to focus on their growth , not achieving perfection . To actually enjoy the journey and the ability to play music , not beat themselves down for simple mistakes .
When they ’ re fearful of being on stage , we remind them that the only way to get rid of the fear is to go out and do the thing you ’ re fearful of , seeking out performance opportunities , not avoiding them . There ’ s literally no substitute for live experience , where you deal with your nerves and conquer them .
All musicians , no matter how great they are , need performance practice .
It ’ s important for them to play often in front of different groups of people , in the presence of distractions , in front of people who make them nervous , etc .
And once the performance begins , it ’ s important to avoid worrying about what could happen , or what mistakes could be made . Staying the present , note by note , line by line , makes it to where we think less , which means less worrying and trying too hard .
One very helpful way to stay in the present is to sing the melody in your head as you play . A great performance requires the mind to be still , to be focused on the “ now ”, and relaxing and letting it happen . One of the worst things we can do is to worry about what the audience is thinking . Especially in leading worship , the focus needs to be away from us and our own ego .
If there is a mistake made , don ’ t give that mistake your attention . Stay in the song and in the present moment : mistakes are a healthy part of the improvement and growth process , and learning requires a certain amount of failure . The time to focus on mistakes made is after the performance , not during .
One way to help avoid mistakes is to practice until you feel like you can ’ t make a mistake and continue practicing even if you already have it memorized and know it well . A tip in achieving great practice is to start slow , and then gradually speeding up to tempo , even going a little bit faster than the original tempo of the song . That way in the live performance it will feel slower and you have more time to process the next section . Also , you can practice starting at different start points in the song so that your brain adapts to different sections right away . And mental rehearsing ( just rehearsing in your head ) leading up to the performance is a very powerful way to minimize mistakes .
But remember , mistakes are normal , and also human . And especially when we worship God through music , we should be focused on who He is , not our own mistakes .
If you ’ re a youth worship leader , encourage your team to practice these strategies during the week preparing for the worship set . Teaching your team how to practice effectively can really pay off , and a little guidance and encouragement from you can go a long way !
May you be blessed as you pour into or become the next generation of worship leaders !
Vance & Michelle Shepherd Founders of The Shepherd School of Music in Las Vegas , NV , where they work with youth to raise up the next generation of worship leaders and musicians . facebook . com / shepherdschoolofmusiclasvegas www . ShepherdStudiosLV . com
38 March 2025 Subscribe for Free ...